Superman: Krypton Coaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Superman: Krypton Coaster |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Six Flags Fiesta Texas | |
| Park section | Spassburg |
| Coordinates | 29°35′43″N 98°36′36″W / 29.595150°N 98.609991°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | March 11, 2000 |
| Cost | $20 million |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Floorless Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Floorless Coaster - Custom |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 168 ft (51 m) |
| Drop | 163 ft (50 m) |
| Length | 4,025 ft (1,227 m) |
| Speed | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Inversions | 6 |
| Duration | 2:35 |
| Max vertical angle | 58° |
| Capacity | 1600 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.8 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
 Flash Pass available |
|
| Superman: Krypton Coaster at RCDB Pictures of Superman: Krypton Coaster at RCDB |
|
Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop (145 feet) from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).
History
In 1999, Six Flags Great Adventure spent $42 million on new attractions including a prototype Floorless Coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard, Medusa (later Bizarro). The immediate popularity of the ride, led to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to announce plans to install a Floorless Coaster in 2000; Superman: Krypton Coaster was announced on November 1, 1999. The $20 million roller coaster was announced as part of a wider multimillion-dollar expansion of Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
At the time of the ride's announcement, construction had already begun on unused land bordered by quarry walls and an irrigation pond. The initial plans for the ride specified it would have seven inversions including a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop and a 96-foot-tall (29 m) dive loop. Following the ride's announcement, the design was altered to remove the dive loop and increase the size of the vertical loop to 145 feet (44 m). This saw Superman: Krypton Coaster obtain the record for the world's tallest vertical loop when it officially opened to the public on March 11, 2000. A title it held for 13 years until the addition of Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2013.
On March 6, 2010, Six Flags Fiesta Texas offered exclusive ride time on Superman: Krypton Coaster to help celebrate the ride's 10th anniversary. On June 22, 2013, Superman: Krypton Coaster lost the title of having the world's tallest vertical loop since Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California opened Full Throttle, which features a 160-foot-tall (49 m) vertical loop, 15 feet (4.6 m) taller than the loop on Superman: Krypton Coaster.
On March 3, 2016, Six Flags announced that the roller coaster would be one of several rides at various Six Flags parks to feature a VR system. Riders have the option of wearing a Samsung Gear VR headset, powered by Oculus to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. It is themed to Superman saving a city from Lex Luthor's Lex Bots who are causing chaos with an anti-gravity ray.
Characteristics
Statistics
The 4,025-foot-long (1,227 m) Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall. With a top speed of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), the ride ties with Iron Rattler as the fastest roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The ride features six inversions including a 145-foot-tall (44 m) vertical loop, a zero-g roll, a 78-foot-tall (24 m) cobra roll and two corkscrews.
Trains
Superman: Krypton Coaster operates with three floorless trains. Each train seats 32 riders in eight rows of four. This gives the ride a theoretical hourly capacity of 1600 riders per hour. The open-air trains feature seats which leave riders' legs dangling above the track. Riders are restrained with over-the-shoulder restraints. As the trains are floorless, the station has a retractable floor for safe boarding.
Ride experience
After riders have boarded and the station floor is retracted, Superman: Krypton Coaster departs with a left turn out of the station. This leads directly to the 168-foot-tall (51 m) chain lift hill. At the top, the train crests the lift hill and follows a fairly level 180 degree turn to the right above the quarry wall. This leads into a 168-foot (51 m) drop off the quarry wall directly into the 145-foot-tall (44 m) vertical loop. With the quarry wall on the track's right, the train inclines to the top of the wall where it performs a helix to the right. After dropping from the quarry wall again, the train enters the zero-g roll where riders experience a feeling of weightlessness. This is followed by the 78-foot-tall (24 m) cobra roll and a mid-course brake run. The exit from the mid-course brake run banks down to the right into the two interlocking corkscrews. This leads to a final turn before the final brake run and return to the station.
